Have Fun this Fall!

Fall is in the air this morning in the Northeast, and it is nearly the weekend! If you can, get outside this weekend and start some of the great fall activities that your kids love. And even if it is still warm where you are, you can do many of these things and just be a little warmer doing them! Here is a great list from FamilyFun.com with some great suggestions:

Autumn is my favorite time of the year. I just love the crisp air and watching the leaves change. I'd like to encourage my kids to appreciate fall with some fun activities. Do you have any suggestions?

Heading out into nature is a great way to soak up this colorful season and enjoy the outdoors before cold weather sets in. A walk in the woods, fields or even a city park, gives kids an opportunity to witness the changing landscape up close. It's also a great way to come together after a busy school and work week.

You don't need special equipment for an afternoon jaunt--just some jackets, water and snacks. Kids may also enjoy bringing along autumn journals and crayons for recording observations and making leaf rubbings, and small paper bags for storing treasures found along the path. Once home, kids can use these finds as craft materials. They can create lasting impressions with faux fossils and clay coasters, make whimsical stick hats or use gathered leaves to print colorful autumn place mats.

A trip to a local apple orchard is another fun outdoor activity and offers families a chance to participate in the fall harvest. Most orchards usually open the first weekend after Labor Day (call ahead to find out about picking conditions and the availability of apples). Some farms also offer horse-drawn wagon rides, making the excursion a real adventure for kids. Pack a picnic and you can make a day of it. Don't fret if your family's picking enthusiasm results in a bumper crop of fruit--an abundance of apples means there will be plenty to spare for craft projects. Cut apples in half to create an apple-stamp bag, dry a few for funny-faced apple dolls and sour puss puppets or carve a set of candleholders. Just be sure to save enough to make an easy and delicious apple pie and some homemade applesauce. Wrap any unused fruit in newspaper and store in a cool, dry place.

Of course, if you have a yard full of deciduous trees and a yard full of leaves that need raking there are plenty of ways to play away an autumn day at home:

• Walk a leafy labyrinth. When leaves cover the lawn, rake a twisting pathway through them. Copy a classic maze for extra credit.

• Find a lollipop. Hide a wrapped lollipop under a leaf pile. The first one to find it keeps it.

• Stuff a scarecrow. Break out an old shirt and overalls and stuff until firm. Complete with a pumpkin head.

• Make a sun catcher. Using a low setting, iron a leaf between two pieces of waxed paper with a sheet of plain paper on top. Hang in a sunny window.

• Preserve a leaf. Bring a mixture of 2 parts water and 1 part glycerin (available in most pharmacies) to a boil in a saucepan (adults only). Pour the solution into a heat-proof container. Drop in a few brightly-colored leaves and gently submerge with a wooden spoon. Keep the container in a cool, dark place until there is a slight change in the leaves' tints. Then remove them and blot dry with a paper towel. Instead of turning brown and crumbly, the leaves will retain their brilliant hues.

• Play name that leaf. Go out into the neighborhood or local park and have players collect five unusual leaves. Back home, try to identify the trees they came from using guidebooks.

• Rake them into a huge pile and jump in!